Game One
Game Two

NAMPA, Idaho - The Northwest Nazarene baseball team captured the opening game of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference twinbill against Central Washington University 6-4 on Friday afternoon, but the Wildcats bounced back to win the nightcap 13-8 at Vail Field.

 

J.T. Brodrick (6-2) earned the win as the Crusaders (23-11, 8-10 GNAC) scored three times in the fifth and sixth innings to secure the 6-4 victory.  Sean McDonald stepped in to work the ninth inning and earned his fifth save of the year.

 

Cameron Louie, McDonald and Ty Windall all plated single RBI's in both the fifth and sixth innings.  Louie led the Crusaders, going 2 for 3, and designated hitter Josh Hatfield also had two hits.  McDonald finished 1 for 4 and Windall was 1 for 3.

 

Both teams exploded offensively in game two, with the Wildcats out-hitting the Crusaders 16 to 13, and the teams combining for five home runs.

 

The Wildcats (8-20, 3-15 GNAC) scored four in the second inning off six-straight hits and added four more in the fourth off a David Leid's grand-slam.  Derrick Webb added a three-run home run in the fifth, his third of the year, and the Wildcats scored once in the seventh on a Nate Wallen RBI double.

 

The Crusaders plated two in the third when McDonald hit the first of two solo home runs and Logan Parker scored Derek Bettinson with an RBI single.  Bettinson had singled and moved to second on a Ryan VanBeek single earlier in the inning.

 

McDonald struck again in the fifth, leading off with another bomb to left field and Windall singled and then scored on a VanBeek sacrifice fly to center field.  McDonald earned his third RBI of the game in the sixth, singling home freshman catcher Drew Drlik, who singled and moved to second on a Zach Hibbard saftey. 

 

Drlik capped the home run outburst in the seventh with his first collegiate home run, a three-run blast down the left field line.

 

McDonald led the Crusaders, going 3 for 4, while Windall, Bettinson, VanBeek, and Drlik all had two hits each.

 

Patrick Patterson (1-2) took the loss for the Crusaders, while Ryan Hastings (2-5) earned the win for CWU.

 

The teams will return for a doubleheader at Noon on Saturday.